Enrollment Procedure for New Students

In order to enroll a new student, original birth certificate or certified copy, proof of residency and paper registration forms must be submitted to the District Registrar, Maria Perez. After this process is complete, you will receive instructions on how to complete registration online. 

The following documents are required for all new students, including those with older siblings enrolled in The Winnetka Public Schools. Those documents noted with an asterik (*) must be provided in-person at the District Office anytime Monday – Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. If you’d like to make an appointment, please contact the District Registrar at (847) 446-9400 or via email mariaperez@winnetka36.org.

• The child's original birth certificate or certified copy. *

• Parent's photo ID (Driver's license, state ID, or passport). *

• Proof of Winnetka residency (most recent real estate tax bill; or signed and dated lease/rental agreement and proof of last month's payment; or mortgage documents; or agreement of sale). 

• Two of the following with a current Winnetka address: voter registration; auto registration; home/auto insurance; gas/water/electric bills. Cell phone bills are not acceptable. 

Registration Forms required for all new students include:

• New Student Enrollment Form
• Home Language Survey 
• Records Request Form (Grades K-8) 
• U.S. Department of Education Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Form
• Medical Condition Form 

McKinney-Vento Education of Homeless Children

Click here to access School Board Policy 6:140, which addresses the enrollment and registration of homeless children as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Click here to access McKinney-Vento Fact Sheet. The Homeless Liaison for District 36 is Denise Matthews, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Equity & Inclusion. Please contact Denise with any questions at 847-446-9400 ext. 2622 or denisematthews@winnetka36.org. 

Welcome to the 2026/2027 Kindergarten Full- Day Program

The Winnetka Public Schools serves students in Kindergarten through the eighth grade. Kindergarten through fourth grade students attend Crow Island School, Greeley School and Hubbard Woods School. Fifth and sixth grade students attend The Skokie School and seventh and eighth grade students attend Carleton Washburne School. We are delighted that you are considering enrolling your child in the District. To check an address for Elementary School Boundary Assignments, click here. 

Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2026, are eligible to enroll. Questions related to School Admissions and age requirements are addressed in School Board Policy 7:50 School Admissions and student Transfers to and from Non-District Schools.  Please contact the District Registrar, Maria Perez,  via email (mariaperez@winnetka36.org) or phone 847-446-9400 to make an appointment.

The District is excited to welcome our new Kindergarteners. District 36 Kindergarten is built upon Winnetka’s rich history of play-based experiential learning. Below are some key documents for your review:

The Winnetka Public Schools Kindergarten: Play

The Winnetka Public Schools Readiness Skills

Kindergarten Program Overview 

Kindergarten Curricular Summary 

 

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Upcoming Events:

Spring 2026 Kindergarten Open House: Families may visit the school, see a kindergarten classroom, and learn more about the kindergarten program.

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
6:15–7:15 p.m.
Held at each elementary school

Kindergarten Transition Plans for Students Receiving Special Education Services

Transition planning for students receiving special education services begins in the spring prior to kindergarten entry to support a smooth transition from preschool to elementary school.

August 2026 Kindergarten Connection

Kindergarten Connection takes place in August prior to the start of school. Dates, locations, and sign-up information will be shared in spring 2026.

Students will:

• Meet kindergarten teachers and classmates

• Participate in play-based activities

Information gathered during this visit helps schools create balanced kindergarten classrooms.

Registration Forms

New Student Registration Forms Include:

• New Student Enrollment Form
• Home Language Survey 
• Records Request Form (Grades k-8) 
• U.S. Department of Education Race and Ethnicity Data Collection Form
• Medical Condition Form

Health information and submission of required health forms can be found on the Health Forms page.

Student Fees 2026/2027

Student fees include both required and optional activities. The required activity fees for grades K-8 are used at the discretion of the principals to benefit students in a variety of ways. For example, funds are used to support field trip entrance fees and transportation costs, student planners, magazine subscriptions for Scholastic and Time, leadership training at Camp Duncan, outdoor education experiences, class parties, student locks, and some instructional supplies.

• Student Fees 2026-2027
• Refund Practice

Transportation information and forms are available on the Transportation page. All fee payments can be submitted through RevTrak. 

Fee Waiver Forms Include:

• Bus/Activity Fee Waiver (PDF) 
• Free/Reduced Lunch Program Guidelines and Application Form (PDF)

Student Accident Insurance

• Student Accident Insurance Information Letter (PDF) 

Early Entrance

Per District policy 6:135, please follow the appropriate application process.

The deadline for applications is Friday, March 20, 2026 for consideration of early entrance for the following school year. Early Entrance applies to Kindergarten and 1st Grade.

Early Entrance into Kindergarten 

Your child's 5th birthday must fall between September 2 and October 31 of the school year term. We will not assess or consider children for early entrance whose birthday falls after October 31 of the school year term. 

Early Entrance into First Grade

Early Entrance to first grade is the admission to first grade of a student who: a) is assessed for readiness, attended a non-public preschool and continued his or her education at that school through kindergarten, was taught in kindergarten by an appropriately certified teacher, and will attain the age of six years on or before December 31; or b) is admitted prior to the dates established in the School Code based upon an assessment of his or her readiness to attend school.  

Your child's 6th birthday must fall between September 2 and December 31 of that school year term. We will not assess or consider children whose birthday falls after December 31 of the school year term.

Decision Making Processes

All decisions regarding early entrance will involve multiple individuals inclusive of parents, teachers, evaluators, and administrators. Processes will be fair and equitable and based upon quantitative and qualitative data that has been collected for determination of appropriateness of early entrance or acceleration. 

Assessment Processes for Early Entrance

Prior to initiation of any additional assessment outside of the district assessment plan, parents/guardians must provide written consent to conduct the assessment. Assessments will be completed by properly certified school personnel who have the knowledge and skills necessary to administer, score and interpret the results of the assessments given.  Assessment results will be provided to parents inclusive of data points required for consideration of early entrance.

Assessment review for potential Early Entrance may include any of the following:

• Social Emotional Checklist
• Assessment of School Readiness
  • Young Children’s Achievement Test (YCAT)
  • Bracken Basic Concept Scale
• Classroom observation in current educational setting (preschool or kindergarten)
• Interview with current teacher

Click here to begin the Early Entrance application process. 

Communication Processes

Parents/guardians will be notified in writing throughout the process of determining eligibility for early entrance or acceleration. This notification process will include the following as needed for each request:

• Initial notification that a request for early entrance or acceleration has been received and referral determination.

• Within ten school days after receiving referral, written notification regarding whether assessment for acceleration is warranted will be communicated to parents/guardians.  This includes a written outline regarding timeline for completion of assessment when determination to assess has been made and written consent has been obtained.

• Notification of a meeting in which assessment results will be discussed and shared with parents.  

• Notification regarding the decision whether the student is eligible for early entrance or acceleration which includes processes to appeal the eligibility determination.

Additional Resources:

ISBE Information:
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/Accelerated_Placement_Act_Guidance.pdf

District Policy:
D36 Policy: 6:135

Acceleration

Per District policy 6:135 please follow the appropriate application process.

The state defines accelerated placement as “the placement of a child in an educational setting with curriculum that is usually reserved for children who are older or in a higher grades than the child.” The types of accelerated placement are defined below.

Conversations with parents, educational professionals including classroom teachers and licensed staff members, and the building principal are essential during the acceleration referral and application process. 

The Acceleration Window opens on Monday, March 2, 2026. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 20, 2026, for consideration of acceleration for the following school year (2026-2027).

Acceleration Policy Facts Infographic

Grade Acceleration

Grade acceleration is the practice of assigning a student to a higher grade level than is typical, given the student's age, for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in all subject areas. Grade acceleration applies to incoming 3rd-8th grade students.

Single Subject Acceleration

Single subject acceleration is the practice of assigning a student to a higher subject level than is typical, given the student’s age, for the purpose of providing access to appropriately challenging learning opportunities in one or more subject areas. It may be accomplished by either:  a) physically moving the student to a higher level class for instruction; or b) using higher level curricular or study materials in the student’s current classroom. Single subject acceleration applies to 3rd-8th Grade.

Decision Making Processes

All decisions regarding acceleration will involve multiple individuals, including parents, teachers, evaluators, and administrators. Processes will be fair and equitable and based upon quantitative and qualitative data that has been collected for determination of appropriateness of early entrance or acceleration.  

Assessment Processes

Prior to initiation of any additional assessment outside of the district assessment plan, parents/guardians must provide written consent to conduct the assessment. Assessments will be completed by properly certified school personnel who have the knowledge and skills necessary to administer, score and interpret the results of the assessments given. Assessment results will be provided to parents, including data points required for consideration of acceleration. 

Assessment review for potential Subject or Grade Acceleration may include any of the following:

• Social Emotional Screening Tool: SSIS

• Data from Universal Screening tools or curriculum-based measures:
  • mClass (Literacy grades 2-6)
  • AimswebPLUS (Math grades 2-6)
  • MAP (grades 3-8)
  • Curriculum-Based Measures (all grades)
  • IAR State Assessment (grades 3-8)

• Teacher questionnaire (current teacher or content area specialist)

• Student questionnaire (interview or Google form)

Additionally it is important to consider the impact of decisions and placement on the overall grade level programming and schedules for students.

 

Assessment Criteria/How to Qualify

 

Below are the criteria used to determine whether an acceleration request for a student should be approved.  In order to help parents make an informed decision about whether to apply for acceleration or whether their student is currently meeting criteria, parents are encouraged to complete the Acceleration Parent Worksheet.

 

For Students in Grade 2

For Students in Grades 3-7

 

We strive to ensure each student is placed in the most conducive learning environment for their academic growth and success. If you have any questions about the acceleration process or specific criteria, please contact us.

 

Acceleration Request Form

The District 36 Acceleration Request Form opens on Monday, March 2, 2026, and closes on Friday, March 20, 2026. 

Complete the form to begin the accelerated placement request process.  The placement change would take place the following school year.  For example, requests granted in the spring of 2026 will be implemented beginning in the fall of 2026.

Communication Processes

 

Parents/guardians will be notified in writing throughout the process of determining eligibility for early entrance or acceleration. This notification process will include the following as needed for each request:

• Initial notification that a request for early entrance or acceleration has been received and referral determination.

• Within ten school days after receiving referral, written notification regarding whether assessment for acceleration is warranted will be communicated to parents/guardians. This includes a written outline regarding timeline for completion of assessment(s) when determination to assess has been made and written consent has been obtained.

• Notification of a meeting in which the assessment results will be discussed and shared with parents.  

• Notification regarding the decision whether the student is eligible for early entrance or acceleration, which includes processes to appeal the eligibility determination.

Additional Resources:

 

ISBE Information

District Policy: 6:135

Request Form (PDF version- not a live form)

MAP RIT Score and Percentile Comparisons

Winnetka Parent Institute January 2023: Acceleration